UH Manoa School of Law and Monash University present two-day conference on federalism and rights of indigenous peoples

HONOLULU — The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa‘s William S. Richardson School of Law Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law, in conjunction with the Castan Center for Human Rights at Australia‘s Monash University, will present a conference entitled "Federalism and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Comparative Principles and Strategies," January 9-10, 2007, at the UH Mānoa campus. The conference will engage in a critical review of federalism, the distribution of legislative powers, and the varied goals of self-determination policy.

"We will have panelists from all over the globe, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Taiwan, the continental United States, and Hawaiʻi," said panel organizer Susan Serrano. "Panel sessions will include discussions on the successes and challenges in structuring indigenous-governmental relationships, models of sovereignty and intergovernmental relationships, and resources such as land, water, wildlife, taxation, revenue, and governance."

The panel includes many notable names, including Jon Osorio, Director of Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at UH Mānoa; Professor Rebecca Tsosie from Arizona State University College of Law; Professor Lindsay Robertson from the University of Oklahoma School of Law; Professor Khylee Quince from the University of Auckland; Professor Brad Morse from the University of Ottawa; and UH Mānoa School of Law Professor Jon Van Dyke. The panelists will analyze strategies for advancing the rights of indigenous peoples now and into the future.

The conference will be held at the William S. Richardson School of Law in Classroom 2 on Tuesday, Jan. 9, and in Classroom 3 on Wednesday, Jan. 10. The program begins at 9 a.m. on both days, and is free and open to the public. For more information and to reserve a seat, email the Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law at nhlawctr@hawaii.edu or call 956-5516.